Chapter 667 Low Pay and High Pay
Yang Shiyi originally thought he would only see Lu Yanhe, but he did not expect that Li Zhibai, Yu Mengling, and a stranger would also be in the room.
He went in, somewhat surprised and a little reserved, and sat down.
Lu Yanhe snapped out of his daze and said with a smile, "Let me introduce you. This is Yang Shiyi. The play I was taking you to see today, the one where he plays the role of the Third Young Master, was performed by him. I saw him perform it the day before yesterday, and it was a completely different quality from the one performed by the actor today. It's a pity he didn't perform today."
Yu Mengling looked at Yang Shiyi with great curiosity and asked Lu Yanhe, "Are you good friends?"
“Oh no, I only met him for the first time today,” Lu Yanhe said. “I got in touch with him through a friend at Bingyuan Video. Bingyuan Video is developing the TV series version of Rouge, and he was the one who discovered him.”
Miao Yue looked at Yang Shiyi and nodded, "Very similar, too similar."
Lu Yanhe said, "When I watched his performance from the audience the day before yesterday, I was also very surprised. I didn't expect that someone would be so suitable. I went to see it with Huang Kairen the day before yesterday. Huang Kairen even said that if I had known about him before filming the movie, I might not have cast him."
Li Zhibai clicked his tongue, "That's a bit of a pity today, I didn't get to see you on stage."
Yang Shiyi quietly said, "I'm sorry."
"Are you feeling unwell today?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Yang Shiyi: "No, it's an arrangement made by the troupe."
Miao Yue asked, "Have you never acted in a movie or TV series before? I have no impression of you, but you are so handsome that I would definitely remember you if I had seen you before."
Lu Yanhe laughed and said, "If Liu Bige were here, he would definitely be jealous."
"How could that be? I often tell him which male actors are good-looking."
“You really are dancing in dangerous territory all the time,” Li Zhibai said seriously.
Miao Yue: "..."
Yang Shiyi was puzzled, wondering how this had anything to do with Liu Bige again.
Of course, he was too embarrassed to ask.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Do you have a talent agency?"
Yang Shiyi shook his head and said, "I did sign a contract with the troupe."
"Is it only possible to perform in plays within a theater troupe?" Lu Yanhe asked, somewhat surprised.
"No, it's just like a normal work contract. But if I want to go out to act, I need the troupe's approval, otherwise I can only resign," Yang Shiyi said frankly. "However, the troupe will usually approve if there are opportunities to act outside, especially for actors like us who don't play leading roles and are not famous."
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "You're actually very good at acting in stage plays, but if you'd like to act in film and television, I can recommend you to Shi Huo—a talent agency run by my agent—to handle your film and television agency work. Would you like to act in 'Rouge'? I know some stage actors look down on film and television."
“I didn’t,” Yang Shiyi shook his head and said, “I just don’t want to act in bad plays.”
“Yes, Icefield Video has also contacted you. They might want to sign you too. If that’s the case, you can choose either side. They won’t treat you unfairly,” Lu Yanhe said. “If they finally agree to let you act in this drama.”
Yang Shiyi nodded.
Lu Yanhe turned to look at Yu Mengling.
"Sister Ling, how about it? Do you want to take a look at the script and try on the makeup?" Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "Although I know that you have never acted in a TV series before and usually only act in the dramas you like, I really can't think of any other actress in the entire entertainment industry who can play a different version of Ru Hua than Sister Bige, but one that people can believe in and like."
Yu Mengling was still somewhat hesitant, saying, "I feel that I might not be able to play a courtesan well. With Sister Bige's excellent performance as a precedent, I myself... have never played this type of role before."
“Sister Ling, do you know why I think you can do it?” Lu Yanhe said, “Because you give me the feeling of a woman with a refined and scholarly temperament. To be honest, it’s very rare to find an actress with this kind of temperament in the entertainment industry.”
"As for Ru Hua, although she is a courtesan, she is a woman who would die with her beloved, simply to break free from worldly constraints and be together forever. This kind of idealism, which is almost like a moth drawn to a flame and self-deception, is portrayed by Sister Bige as a version of extreme passion and emotion, and she has brought it to its extreme."
"In my imagination, if you were to play the role, it would be a version of an independent woman who pursues a free spirit and refuses to compromise with the world. This may not seem to fit the background of that era, but that's roughly the idea. Compared to the movie version's deep affection and sudden awakening, the TV series version's Ru Hua starts with her own stubbornness and belief, and later, in order to find the Twelfth Master, she gradually confirms the purity and innocence she is pursuing. This is also the difference reflected in Miao Yue's adapted script."
Yu Mengling showed a hint of surprise.
“This perfectly complements your unique and somewhat aloof temperament,” Lu Yanhe said. “That’s my vision and positioning for the TV series.”
Yu Mengling hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Will the production team film it the way you just said?"
"My promises about how to film it in the end are useless. I'm just an art director. But I think if I, screenwriter Miao Yue, and you really star in it, and we can all reach an agreement, and then find a good director who shares the same vision, we should be able to work towards that goal."
Yu Mengling said, "Then please let me see the script first. I want to see the script first, at least let me see how the first three episodes are written."
“No problem,” Miao Yue said. “We’ve already revised the entire script several times. You can read it through as well. If you have any thoughts or opinions, feel free to discuss them with me.”
Yu Mengling was extremely surprised.
"You've already finished writing the entire script?"
“Yes.” Lu Yanhe said with a smile, “She polished it for a whole year, and devoted that entire year to this script.”
Yu Mengling said, "This is the first time I've ever been involved in a drama series and been able to see the complete script directly."
Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.
Li Zhibai said, "Nowadays, TV dramas often start casting actors with only the first ten episodes or so of the script. Of all the scripts I've received, only a few had a complete script when they approached me."
Lu Yanhe once again felt that his past acting experience was special and different from others.
Because he works with top directors or writes his own scripts, he only joins a production team after receiving the complete script for every show he acts in.
At most, it's not a final draft yet and needs further revisions.
Lu Yanhe asked Yu Mengling with some surprise, "Sister Ling, is this the reason you haven't acted in any TV dramas?"
"That's one reason, and another is that I don't get many offers for TV dramas," Yu Mengling said with a smile and a shake of his head. "I'm not famous."
Yu Mengling's status in the industry is indeed far higher than her actual fame and commercial value.
The reason she has such a status and professional image in the industry is not only because she is a film queen, but also because she has always insisted on acting only in art films and has never acted in a commercial film.
Because of their scarcity, and because they genuinely resisted fame and fortune, they earned respect.
Lu Yanhe suddenly thought that if "Rouge" really cast Yu Mengling and Yang Shiyi as the leads, Bingyuan Video might not agree.
Neither the male nor female lead is a currently popular star.
Should we persist?
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However, Icefield Video suddenly showed great respect for Lu Yanhe's opinion.
"If you really think the two of them are a good match, and no one is a better match than them, then we'll go with them."
Lu Yanhe was at a loss for words to describe his feelings at being treated with such respect by Bingyuan Video.
Of course, I wasn't flattered; I was only surprised.
Because this is not in line with the style of a top-tier video platform.
Even if he is Lu Yanhe.
Chen Ziyan said, "You're overthinking it. If you think Yang Shiyi and Yu Mengling are great, firstly, 'Rouge' is already a big IP, with the film and Korean versions already established. The early attention and popularity of this drama don't need to rely on popular stars. Secondly, Yang Shiyi is someone they've got their eye on. They'll sign Yang Shiyi—as far as I know, they're already in talks about it. So even if the drama doesn't meet expectations in the end, just based on the attention it has, having a male lead from a big IP right from the start, and having a Best Actress like Yu Mengling as the male and female lead, means a near-A-list star will be in their hands."
Is there a third one?
"Third, it shows you enough respect, which will facilitate further cooperation with you in the future," Chen Ziyan said. "Of course, there's also the point that we trust your judgment and believe that the cast you approve of will be successful."
Lu Yanhe: "Alright."
"Moreover, the TV series script for 'Rouge' also has a second male lead and a second female lead, both with significant screen time. Although Yu Mengling's popularity can't compare to that of top-tier celebrities, she's an award-winning actress with a high status and can hold her own. For the second male and female leads, we can use some of the more popular young actors, and Bingyuan Video has quite a few."
"Since 'Rouge' is aiming to be the king of dramas, they definitely want to make it a high-quality production. With such a strong initial buzz and huge attention, quality is paramount."
Chen Ziyan said, "I think it was the wisest choice for you to cast Yu Mengling in this drama. Only an actress of her caliber can make this drama truly stand out from the movie version."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
“Sometimes, you have to trust a woman’s intuition,” Miao Yue said. She wrote the script based on Yu Mengling’s unique and distinctive temperament. “I never thought that Yu Mengling would be suitable to play Ru Hua.”
“I know,” Chen Ziyan said. “That’s what makes the entertainment industry interesting. Sometimes it really is like an experiment. You can only get the desired result if you find the right raw materials. But before you succeed, you don’t know what the right raw materials are.”
“There are risks everywhere.” Lu Yanhe laughed. “But that’s what makes it interesting. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fresh. The movie version was already so successful, and we’re starting the TV series version so quickly. There has to be something new for the audience.”
“Yang Shiyi will become famous overnight. He has a handsome face that is lacking in the film industry now.” Chen Ziyan said, “It’s quite rare that this face has not been discovered by the film industry before. If it hadn’t been discovered by the people from Bingyuan Video, it might have been buried.”
"No, it's mainly because the current film and television themes don't really need such a handsome face, especially for male characters," Lu Yanhe said.
Like Chow Yun-fat and John Lone in their youth, would there be any suitable movies for them in today's entertainment industry if they had the looks they have now?
At first glance, it seems there's no role that particularly requires their kind of face. Nowadays, in film and television—especially movies—almost no lead actor needs to have a handsome and refined face; times have changed.
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Lu Yanhe actually quite enjoyed discussing these industry changes with Chen Ziyan.
Many things truly require listening to both sides to gain clarity.
He has his own views on this industry, and others have their own views as well.
One's perspective is always limited, and only by truly seeing the real things can one combine them with the changes in the industry to determine what kind of work you should create in the coming period.
Just like not many works are suitable for any release window.
Every work is unique. For example, the current "Home Alone" doesn't have top stars to carry the box office, and it's a children's comedy. Apart from the Spring Festival, Lu Yanhe can't think of any other release window that would be suitable.
Having figured out why Icefield Video agreed to cast Meng Lingjia and Yang Shiyi—a lineup that didn't seem to fit current casting standards—it was easier for Lu Yanhe to understand Icefield Video's thought process, which would facilitate the advancement of his subsequent projects.
To persuade Yu Mengling to star in the drama, executives from Bingyuan Video visited her three times to lobby her.
Yu Mengling took the opportunity to offer many of his own ideas about the script and to confirm with Bingyuan Video how the filming of the series would ultimately take place and what it would look like.
At this stage, Lu Yanhe withdrew.
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At this time, news also came from Darren Wilson that a filming agreement had been reached between Buried and Parameter.
Parameter agreed to the proposal to cast Lee Ji-baek as the lead actor in the film.
Parameter simultaneously initiated performance contract negotiations with Li Zhibai.
Lin Suyang had no relevant experience at all, so he had to ask Chen Ziyan for advice.
Lu Yanhe made several phone calls with Zebi Doyle to discuss ideas for filming "Buried".
Zebi Doyle actually wanted to create a long take that runs throughout the entire film.
Lu Yanhe was shocked.
Long takes certainly have their effects, but in a story like Buried, using so-called long takes is somewhat unnecessary.
It's a film made by one person, and to use a long take in such a cramped space just seems absurd.
Long takes are certainly impressive, but only if there's something to show off.
Without any spatial movement or changes in perspective between multiple actors, playing with long takes in "Buried" is essentially a one-man show from a fixed camera position.
It might even be called a "mockumentary".
He doesn't intend to make a film like "The Blair Witch Project" that exploits consumers.
Fortunately, Zebi Doyle is someone who listens to advice.
More importantly, how this movie is made ultimately depends on the director.
The director for the film "Buried" hasn't been found yet.
Lu Yanhe doesn't need to worry about this.
With a film company like Parameter, which has an extremely rich pool of director talent, they will definitely find suitable directors.
Another important aspect of the cooperation agreement is that Lu Yanhe and his film production company retained a 35% investment share in the film "Buried Alive"—a share entitled to priority in profit sharing.
This demonstrates the importance of Darren Wilson, the Hollywood agent. In negotiating the specific terms of the contract, he fiercely defended Lu Yanhe's rights and explicitly demanded that Parameter obtain Lu Yanhe's written consent before engaging in any form of derivative development of the film copyright.
At the same time, any profits obtained from "Buried Alive" must be settled with Lu Yanhe first, and so on.
Furthermore, Darren Wilson suggested that Lu Yanhe's side sign a contract with a reliable accounting firm in Hollywood, so that they could arrange for someone to represent Lu Yanhe in the financial work of the film "Buried" from the early stages, and to have a separate set of accounts that would "not be concealed or misled by Parameter," so as to understand the true production costs of the film.
Otherwise, every film company has a group of accounting experts. When you're happily holding a check and thinking you've made a lot of money, you have no idea that you actually made much more.
At this point, Lu Yanhe could only cooperate with the most prestigious accounting firms, since he had no acquaintances and was dealing with complete strangers. He could only choose those well-established companies first.
Chen Ziyan said, "At this time, you should make use of Zhenhua's connections. So many of your seniors are working in the United States, especially in finance and law. There are so many people there. Having Zhenhua's connections is much better than trying to find them directly yourself."
Lu Yanhe immediately went to find his teacher at Zhenhua University.
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Several projects have made substantial progress, which is naturally a hotly contested exclusive news story for the media.
In the United States, Variety magazine has always been a leader in this field.
They were the first to report on the film *Buried*, including the fact that it would star popular Chinese actor Li Zhibai. They also reported that the film would be a thriller that similarly focuses on Asian identity.
This is the first release.
For Americans, this news didn't attract much attention, except that it was Lu Yanhe's first Hollywood film as a screenwriter, which garnered some attention from industry insiders and film critics.
After all, Li Zhibai is practically unknown in the United States.
However, when this news reached China, it caused a huge uproar.
With Lu Yanhe as screenwriter and Li Zhibai as lead actor, if it weren't for the fact that the production company was Parameter, wouldn't this be a purely Chinese-language film production?
Most importantly, Li Zhibai is the lead actor in this film; he is not a supporting actor or a co-star.
Even Lu Yanhe has never starred in a Hollywood film.
Li Zhibai, however, accomplished this.
His fans immediately began to hype up the matter.
The hashtag #Li Zhibai, the leading actor in a Hollywood movie# was pushed to the top of the trending searches by his fans.
While everyone was still discussing "Buried," Variety reported another piece of news:
Lu Yanhe's science fiction film "Source Code" has reached a cooperation agreement with director Lune Ries, who will direct and develop it. Pre-development is currently underway by Ries's production company. It's worth noting that Ries was originally working on "Doomsday," a project whose future was recently uncertain due to Tom Felton's withdrawal from the cast.
This news generated far more attention in Hollywood than Buried.
After all, everyone is paying attention to Lune Ries's new project.
Within a short period of time, Lu Yanhe was revealed to have a second Hollywood project, which not only shocked the Chinese entertainment industry but also drew Hollywood's attention to these two projects and screenwriter Lu Yanhe.
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"As a top actor, Lu Yanhe's status as a top screenwriter undoubtedly played a crucial role in opening up overseas markets."
Amidst the conflicting opinions, Guan Suchen, an entertainment critic who has been closely following Lu Yanhe, recorded a short video on his social media channel to comment on the matter.
“I believe that both Buried Alive and Source Code are the kind of scripts that Lu Yanhe is best at—low production costs and low development barriers. Otherwise, Lu Yanhe could not have pushed two films into the development stage so quickly after just one trip to Los Angeles.”
“Lu Yanhe’s achievements as a screenwriter are actually no less than his achievements as an actor. If an actor wants to replicate his success by only copying his acting skills, he probably won’t be able to succeed. It is foreseeable that if either Buried or Source Code is successful, Lu Yanhe will definitely become a hot new star in Hollywood—even though he was already the hottest Asian actor in Hollywood after The Mist.”
“I am very pleased that Lu Yanhe was able to maintain his ambition to conquer the world while keeping his focus on Chinese-language film and television dramas. He not only starred in the Malaysian director’s film ‘Tropical Rainy Season’ and the American horror film ‘The Mist’, but also used his talent as a screenwriter to write two English scripts. He took Li Zhibai and another Chinese actress to Hollywood, creating opportunities for the world to recognize not only for himself, but also for the talented Chinese around him.”
Guan Suchen's commentary video has attracted quite a bit of attention and discussion.
What surprised everyone the most was what Guan Suchen said next.
"It is said that just recently, Lu Yanhe has been very seriously involved in the preparation of the TV series 'Rouge,' acting as a go-between and selecting a pair of actors for the TV series 'Rouge,' which was unexpected but said to be very suitable. One of them is a complete newcomer who has never acted in any film or television dramas before, while the other is also a choice that surprised everyone. A friend of Bingyuan Video told me that if Lu Yanhe hadn't thought they were suitable and made the final decision, this would definitely not be the lead cast that Bingyuan Video would have agreed to."
"So let's be happy that a filmmaker like Lu Yanhe has emerged. He has gathered the strength of many people on his own to improve the environment of Chinese-language film and television dramas and take them to the world."
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In Hollywood, Lu Yanhe's two scripts have become the most frequently asked questions recently.
In fact, Hollywood is never short of scripts.
Every day, a large number of scripts circulate among people.
It is rare for two screenwriters to have two scripts announced to be adapted into films in quick succession, especially in collaboration with different film companies.
It was precisely this rapid pace, coupled with Lu Yanhe's own fame, that made these two scripts attract so much attention.
Through this frequent reading, Lu Yanhe's scripts "Buried Alive" and "Source Code," which were more creative than literary and character-driven, were recognized by many film companies as demonstrating his talent for writing commercial film scripts.
Before that, Lu Yanhe's screenwriting talent was mainly recognized by Hollywood for its application in television series.
Because, among Lu Yanhe's past screenwriting works, only "Friends" and "The Squid Game" have truly had a significant global impact. Films like "Rouge" and "Love Letter," although they won awards at international film festivals, were mainly focused on the film industry and did not achieve a widespread commercial effect familiar to ordinary audiences.
Midoriya never expected that just after he approached Lu Yanhe to discuss acting in the "Godless" series, Lu Yanhe had simultaneously reached a script collaboration agreement with another film company.
Schmidt Laurie then sent an email to Lu Yanhe, complaining that Lu Yanhe had not given them priority in receiving the script for "Source Code".
Lu Yanhe replied with an email: "I originally wanted to collaborate with Lu Nei on the script for 'Source Code'. Although I don't have 'Source Code', I have another script that you might be interested in."
Schmidt Lowry asked in surprise: What is it?
Lu Yanhe then had Wan Qingqing deliver the paper version of the script for "Red Eye Flight" to Schmidt Lowry's office.
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In fact, Guan Suchen's evaluation of Lu Yanhe contained a very insightful statement.
Why is Lu Yanhe's script so successful in filming? And why is the development speed so fast?
One crucial reason is that the scripts written by Lu Yanhe are both easy to film and have low production costs.
The scripts that Lu Yanhe is currently presenting are all focused on creativity and character performance, and there is no need to put effort into special effects or large-scale scenes.
Needless to say, Buried goes without saying. Source Code, a sci-fi film that everyone would think would be extremely expensive, is actually a "soft sci-fi" film. The main setting is on a train, and the only big-budget scene is the explosion.
However, although there were many explosions in the movie, in reality, it was entirely possible to film an explosion from different angles and complete multiple explosion shots in one take.
In "Red Eye Flight," Lu Yanhe went even further and cut the part from the original work where the two characters went home after getting off the plane.
The scene after the plane disembarkation in the movie itself didn't receive high praise.
When Lu Yanhe watched the movie, he felt that the part about the airplane was enough.
If the confrontation between the female protagonist and the villainous male protagonist had ended the moment she stabbed him in the neck, the movie would have been much more concise and efficient.
For the film, this also saved on filming costs.
Lu Yanhe believes that no film company would actually refuse a script like "Red Eye Flight".
Because it's clearly a story that will make money.
Sure enough, Schmidt Lowry quickly expressed his willingness to buy the script for "Red Eye" and turn it into a movie.
Lu Yanhe replied that his production company would be involved in the film's production, and that he already had a choice for the female lead. He had originally planned to have his own production company direct the film.
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At that time, Jiang Yuqian was in the United States, in New York, having just finished meeting with a producer.
Jiang Yuqian was not very satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
Although the other party was polite on the surface, Jiang Yuqian could actually sense the "disdain" in their attitude.
In particular, a film with an investment of over 20 million US dollars was only willing to pay her a salary of 100,000 US dollars.
It was so low that Jiang Yuqian felt insulted.
Therefore, after coming out, Jiang Yuqian found a coffee shop, went in, sat down, and slowly calmed herself down by drinking coffee.
After a while, her agent, He Heng, finished his call and came over to sit down opposite her.
“A $100,000 salary is an insult. If it’s that kind of figure, I won’t act,” Jiang Yuqian said. “I’m not some nobody. This is clearly bullying Asian actors.”
He Heng sighed and said, "They are too arrogant. They know that many Asian actors are willing to pay low prices to act in a Hollywood movie in order to gain fame."
“That’s not me, I don’t need it.” Jiang Yuqian said angrily. “I’d rather not act at all than do that.”
“This is a rare opportunity for us to get a female lead film,” He Heng said. “We’ve never had a female lead film in Hollywood before.”
He Heng felt that at least this was the way to get things started.
Having played a leading role and not having played a leading role are two completely different concepts.
“No.” Jiang Yuqian shook her head. “If I hadn’t acted in ‘The Squid Game,’ I could accept a low salary because I’m really unknown in Hollywood, so it’s normal that I can’t get a high salary. But if I accept this salary now, it would make us Asian actors seem too cheap.”
He Heng hadn't expected Jiang Yuqian to be so insistent on the issue of her salary.
To be honest, Jiang Yuqian doesn't need to earn money from acting fees at all now.
As long as she accepts this movie, even if she doesn't receive a single penny in salary, being the female lead in a Hollywood film is enough to secure her several endorsements and increase her endorsement fees in the future.
However, on the other hand, He Heng also supported Jiang Yuqian's decision.
(End of this chapter)
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